The recent COVID-19 pandemic in SA has ruffled enough feathers in our health and economic spotlight. We've had sometime to breathe before the COVID-19 statistics escalate.

In entertaining our economic woes, our government has decided to lift the ban on alcohol sales resulting in escalated consumption and overburdened Healthcare system.

Our Emergency Centers are full of trauma. Our Health Care Workers are overworked, mentally and physically drained. Alcohol misuse depresses our resources. It escalates Motor / Pedestrian Vehicle Accidents, Gender Based Violence and so many other societal vices. As much as it is an individuals right to consume alcohol, our toxic culture of misuse shows itself over and over again.

We call on the Government to ban the sales of alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic period, till such time our pandemic is well within control.